Wind turbine gearbox technologies

The reliability problems associated with transmission or gearbox equipped wind turbines and the existing solutions of using direct drive gearless turbines and torque-splitting, are reviewed. As alternative solutions we propose the Geared Turbofan Engine (GTF) technology, and magnetically-levitated bearings from the aerospace industry, and the consideration of Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) from the automobile industry, and discuss their promise in addressing the gearbox problems currently encountered by existing wind turbine technology.